Convertible furniture



Feb. 25, 1947.

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Feb. 2S, 1947.

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1 DONATO PIC/UL@ INVENTOR.

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Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv 1 Claim.

This invention relates to collapsible and convertible deck or beach chairs, but more specifically to ka type of chair which is convertible in conjunction with an extension piece into a sofa.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a chair of the above nature which in conjunction with an extension piece normally serving as a seat or foot rest, is capable of serving as a sofa, means being provided for the enclosure of the device when serving as a sofa whereby the chair can be utilized as a cabana for a single person.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a chair of the above nature which is light in weight, economical to manufacture, easily collapsible and extensible, sturdy in construction and which occupies a minimum of space when stored away.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claim.

Accompanying this specification are drawings showing a preferred form of the invention Wherein corresponding reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side View in elevation showing the main chair portion in operative position as a seating device, the members shown in dotted lines indicating alternate positions.

Figure 2 is a side View in elevation of a collapsible chair extension in an extended position and being adapted to serve as a foot rest or :seat in the position shown. i

Figure 3 is a top plan View of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a side viewin elevation of the main and auxiliary chairs coupled together' and in extended position serving as a sofa with the the peripheral walls thereof provided with curtains or blinds to conceal the occupant.

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of a portion of Figure 4 showing coupling means for securing the main and auxiliary chair portions. to the sofa. v i

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a coupling member for the .two chair portions.

Figure 7 is a top plan View of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a sectional View of Figure 1 along the plane 8-8 thereof.

Figure 9 is an end view in elevation rof thechair shown in Figure 1 in collapsed position.

Figure 10 is a similar end view in elevation of the auxiliary chair shownin Figure 2 in collapsedv position.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form thereof shown in the drawings ,'the collapsible deck or beach chair convertible in form .to yield a sofa or sofa bed for resting or for concealed exposure to the sun is comprised essentially of a main chair and an auxiliary chair detachably securable to each other. The main and auxiliary chairs are collapsible, the auxiliary chair serving either as an independent seating means, as a foot rest or an extension of the seat ing surface of the main chair.

More particularly, the main chair is comprised of lateral cross members I0 and II pivotally secured together by a cross dowel I2, the said members being spaced by means of a spacer I2. The lowervends of lateral cross membersr lo and II are adapted to lie on a supporting surface-and are provided with cross dowels 24 and 30. Pivoted on the cross dowel I2 and between the lateral members IIJ is a back supporting member comprised of a pair of members i I6 and having an upper connecting rod II to which is secured fabric I8 running along the length lof ,the said side members I6 and being secured to dowel I 2 by means of a pocket I2a through which the dowelV I2 runs as shown in Figure 5. To maintain the back supporting'member in place between the members I 0 a cross dowel I5 is adapt-V ed to penetrate the members I@ and I6 for support, the said back supporting member being vfree to drop to a horizontal position coextensive ,with the seatportion of the main chair as will hereinafter be described, the openings in the members I0 and IS receiving dowel I5 being indicated by numerals I 5 and I5. i

A roofffor the main chair is provided by means of a piece of fabric [3a. secured to the top ends of members Iii and I'I by means of cross dowels I3 'and UI;` said dowels I3 and I4 being remov the said rear cross supporting member Ita be=v ing adapted to support, a pair of coupling links I 9 pivoted on cross dowel I2 and situated between members I6 and II, the said coupling links I9' normally resting against member Ilia when the main chair serves as such as shown in Figure ;1 A hooked end 20, an opening I2a at the opposite end and notches 2| and 22 are provided on each and 32e as seen in Figure 5.

of the said links I9 for engagement with other membersof the main chair and the auxiliary chair when the device is converted into a sofa as will hereinafter be described. f

To sustain the back supporting member when in horizontal position therev is provided a frame pivoted on the lower cross dowel 24 of cross member II, said frame being comprised of lateral members 23 secured together Vbyva cross piece v25 and having a cross dowel 26 on the upper ends. The said frame normally rests between the lower portions of the members II as best seen in Figure 1 and when in supporting position. for the back supporting member shown in the dotted linesY of Figure 1 is secured in a withdrawn position to the members I6 by having the dowel 26 Y pass through openings Ib of members I6, which openings Ib are in alignment with the openings 26a of members 23. The cross members Ill andV II are further supported by members 21 pivoted at the upper ends as at 28 to II and being s'ecured together at the lower end by a cross dowel 29a, said members 21 being parallel to cross members I@ and having a' reinforcing cross piece 21a therebetween. Spacers I2a are between members H and 2?.

Connected to the cross dowel Sii at the end thereof are links 3i pivoted intermediate the lengths thereof to members 21 and at the upper ends thereof being provided with a cross dowel 32. A pair of similar and parallel links 31 intersect the lower parts of cross members I being pivoted Yintermediate the lower portion of cross members it and at the upper ends thereof secured to members 21 as lthrough cross dowel p 29, the lower ends of said links 31 carrying links 38 going in a crossdirection and at the upper ends being pivoted to cross members I I. 1

The fabric I3 of the back supporting member is'adapted to continue as indicated by numeral 35 from the cross dowel I2 along the seat portion as determined by the copianar positions of vcross dowels 29 and Thus, fabric is is secured to cross dowels 2Q and 32 by means of Ypockets 2Gb Disposed above seating fabric 35 is a seat member comprised of lateral frame pieces 33 pivoted at the ends thereof onv cross dowel 32 and having a seatsupportV 36 secured to the upper edges of said lateral'frame pieces 33. The frame pieces V33 are .provided with notches 3e to engage cross dowel-29 when the seat in closed position asshown in Figure 1.' It is to be observed thatwhen the seat memberV is in closed position as shown in FigureA 1, the main Vchair portion is prevented from collapsing in thevposition shown in Figure 9.' L 1 f An auxiliary chair shown in Figure 2` may serve Yas either. independent chair separated from the main chair or as anextension for the main chair of Figure 1 or as a portion of a sofa with the main chair. The auxiliary chair, which is also collapsible,V is comprised of two main lateral members 39 reinforced on the upper ends by means of a cross piece 39a and the lower ends having'a cross dowel 4I. VSecured to Il! are a pair of cross links @D while a pair of rearwardlyV and parallelly disposed links A2 are secured interf mediate the length thereof to members 39. At the upper end of links t2 are disposed a pair of cross links 43 pivoted intermediate the ends thereof to links 4B while at the lower endof cross links 43 are a pair of forwardly extending link members 44 pivoted through dowel 45. The upperpart ofjfv links 42 and 43 are 'connected by means of a dowel 43a while the lower ends of Ymembers 39V 4 and links G0 are connected by means of a dowel 4I.

The upper endsof links lill are secured to an ,intermediate portion of a pair of connecting members 4l. The connecting members having hooks Ma at the ends thereof are adapted to engage cross dowel Zea of the main chair. The connection between links d4 and connecting members 41 is by way of a cross dowel 46 while the upper ends of connecting members 47 are securedrto the upper ends rof links 25J by means of a cross dowel lit. Links t2 and 43 are secured at the upper ends by means of a cross dowel 43a, the dowels t8 and 43a preferably being in the same horizontal plane as dowel 48a connecting the main members 39.

It is to be observed that the intersecting links 40 and 42 and 43. of the auxiliary chair are pivoted at the points of intersection. A back supporting member is provided between members 39 and is in the form of a fabric strip 5I secured to the upper ends of members 39 by dowel 52, the said strip I havingl a horizontal extension 51a, said extension 5m being suitably secured to crossdowels :2311, i311 andl. To prevent a collapsing of the auxiliary chair and to maintain the latter in extended position a seat or cover member l#lila is adapted to superpose horizontal portion'lva, ofthe fabric strip, Vthe said cover member having lateral pieces t9 which are pivotally mounted on cross dowel '658, ,the said lateral pieces G9 beingvprovided with intermediate notches Bil to engage the cross dowel 43a when in horizontal position. 'f A When the main and auxiliary chairs are secured to each other as shown in Figure 4 the cover I 3a Vis removed from cross piece I I by the removal of dowel It thereby allowing the said cover Ia to fall over the end Yof .the backrest I 6. Side covers 53 may be provided which are adapted tov engage with studs 55, 55 and 56 of Vmembers It, II and S9, as shown in Figure 4. An end cover 5l may also be secured to the members 39 of auxiliary chair as by attachment to studs 5S. Thus has been described a collapsible deck or beach chair which when in extended and connected position may serve as a sofa bed on whichthe occupant may lie for purposes of resting or being exposed to the sun. To increase the comfort, a mattress 58 may be applied to the sofa' resting surface. The sofa may serve as an independent cabana wherein the occupant may dress or undress by the use of the peripherally disposed cover members.`

variations in the integration, material andlocav tion of parts of the invention may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the in. vention and the scope of the appended claim.` K. I claim: Y A chair comprising a pair of laterally spaced yside frames, each including a plurality of crossed. links plvotally -connected in series in the man.

including cross-dowels and reinforcing crossback frame for the chair, oneof said crcss-dowels connecting the upper forward ends of said sideY frames, a second cross-dowel connecting said side frames rearwardly of said rst cross-dowel, -and a thlrdcross-dowel connecting the extended-back frame links, all said cross-dowels being in vhori-f` I wish it understood that minor changes and ner of vertically positioned lazy tongs, means' zontal alignment, a seat member including a seat frame pivoted to said rst mentioned cross-dowel and notched to engage said second and third cross-dewels to hold the lazy-tongs extended, a back rest pivoted upon said third dowel to swing from a raised position between said extended back frame links to a lowered position in alignment. with the extended seat member, means carried by said back frame links for detachably securing and supporting said back rest in raised position, a supporting frame pivoted to the lower rear ends of said side frames to swing rearwardly therefrom and means carried by said supporting frame for engaging and detachably securing said back rest to support the same in lowered position. is

DONATO PICIULO.

5 le of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,200,912 Brandon May 14, 1940 854,379 Osterberg May 21, 1907 30,888 Sargent Dec. 11, 1860 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 622,475 French Feb. 28, 1927 131,580 British r Sept. 28, 1927 

